I'll name 4. (Grandia isn't even included, though it might well be.)1. Skies of Arcadia. Both Vyse and Alex want to experience something well beyond their village, and they go on a wide-sweeping adventure collecting magical artifacts and seeing the world. The Gigas resemble the dragons, and tonally Skies of Arcadia is bright and optimistic like Lunar, minus the romances between members of the main party.2. Dragon Quest VIII. I remember when it came out the graphics felt like what I'd want Lunar to look like: bright, proportioned, and designed well enough to look good a decade later. Dragon Quest humor is at one remove from Lunar humor - both delight in puns and other forms of verbal wit, with Dragon Quest also adding that into people's names. DQ8 even has a prominent church and cathedral, though the precise details of gods or goddesses aren't really focused on. The character relationships aren't as focal (no satisfying confrontation between a Jessica and the woman who turned her father to stone here), but they have greater range - Lunar has never had a playable character quite like the former thief Yangus. 3. Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky. Today, this is how I would want Lunar to work. Imagine if the job system in Dragon Song were kept and even improved, with lots more NPC detail and a rich, fleshed out world that is slowly explored and traversed over the course of the story. Then include well-developed mostly-teenage party members and an unspoken romance between two of them. If Lunar ever gets a sequel, a prequel, or even a re-release, it could take notes from the design and localization of this game. 4. Xenoblade Chronicles. I'd contend this game has some similarities to Lunar 2: Eternal Blue. Both games feature a hero at the edge of his world who discovers an artifact that pushes him into the greater world, myths and institutions that turn out to be deceptive or wrong, and a main cast that is sometimes older or at least more experienced in the world. The tone is darker - Xenoblade Chronicles takes itself more seriously for the most part, as most games with "Xeno" at the start do. But I think the game poses similar questions about the roots of belief and how they may be twisted, the ways the original purposes of said beliefs may change or diverge over time, and so on.

"Just as you touch the energy of every life form you meet, so, too, will will their energy strengthen you. Fail to live up to your potential, and you will never win. " --- The Old Man at the End of Time

I'd recommend Chrono Trigger if you haven't played it already. Both games have an overall serious plot where the characters don't take it that seriously. Also Lunar's Ghaleon and Chrono Trigger's Magus were both originally antagonists that later redeem themselves. Granted the former's redemption took two games, but felt more sincere, whereas the latter took one game but was more like they were cooperating the hero since they had no other realistic way to achieve their goal.

As Sonic# pointed out, Skies of Arcadia is also quite similar. I haven't completed the others mentioned in general to really form an opinion.

Shining Force 1, 2, and CD (which is the same as 1 and 2 for Game Gear)I can't put my finger on it though... the characters and type of story are different, but similar enough that I see parallels.If this had been a spinoff totally unrelated but called 'Lunar - The Shining Force', I would have accepted it. They also have a feel that is how I imagine Lunar if the series had existed before TSS, the way the graphics look and the way the music sounds (which doesn't use CD).There are just story moments and locations that feel like they kinda fit.

Rhapsody on PS1 also has something about it. A certain goofiness that is a thing of anime, that is also in Lunar. And the way the game is about music.If this had been a spinoff totally unrelated but called 'Lunar - A Musical Adventure', I would have accepted it.

There are 2 other things that Lunar reminded me of when I had never played Lunar yet but had seen it in screenshots, so this is like the reverse of what you're asking but still sorta works.When I found this game, I was a big fan of the Tenchi Muyo anime series! (Still am but it was new to me back then)When seeing Lunar, I felt the character designs had a lot of parallels! Like I thought Jessica was gonna be like Ryoko and Laike was gonna be the main character's father.Lunar looked like an RPG version of Tenchi Muyo, with really advanced Zelda-styled graphics.I wish Zelda had went in the direction the PS1 Lunars went...Oh, and there's Ryo Ohki too, which is like a baby Nall or Ruby! But she doesn't talk. Anyway, Lunar and Tenchi are not alike, but there's those little parallels that make me feel like they were on the same book, unlike if I played something like Final Fantasy XV.

Sonic# wrote:I'll name 4. (Grandia isn't even included, though it might well be.)1. Skies of Arcadia. Both Vyse and Alex want to experience something well beyond their village, and they go on a wide-sweeping adventure collecting magical artifacts and seeing the world. The Gigas resemble the dragons, and tonally Skies of Arcadia is bright and optimistic like Lunar, minus the romances between members of the main party.2. Dragon Quest VIII. I remember when it came out the graphics felt like what I'd want Lunar to look like: bright, proportioned, and designed well enough to look good a decade later. Dragon Quest humor is at one remove from Lunar humor - both delight in puns and other forms of verbal wit, with Dragon Quest also adding that into people's names. DQ8 even has a prominent church and cathedral, though the precise details of gods or goddesses aren't really focused on. The character relationships aren't as focal (no satisfying confrontation between a Jessica and the woman who turned her father to stone here), but they have greater range - Lunar has never had a playable character quite like the former thief Yangus. 3. Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky. Today, this is how I would want Lunar to work. Imagine if the job system in Dragon Song were kept and even improved, with lots more NPC detail and a rich, fleshed out world that is slowly explored and traversed over the course of the story. Then include well-developed mostly-teenage party members and an unspoken romance between two of them. If Lunar ever gets a sequel, a prequel, or even a re-release, it could take notes from the design and localization of this game. 4. Xenoblade Chronicles. I'd contend this game has some similarities to Lunar 2: Eternal Blue. Both games feature a hero at the edge of his world who discovers an artifact that pushes him into the greater world, myths and institutions that turn out to be deceptive or wrong, and a main cast that is sometimes older or at least more experienced in the world. The tone is darker - Xenoblade Chronicles takes itself more seriously for the most part, as most games with "Xeno" at the start do. But I think the game poses similar questions about the roots of belief and how they may be twisted, the ways the original purposes of said beliefs may change or diverge over time, and so on.

I never got into Xenoblade as it was for Nintendo systems and I'm not a nintendo console guy. I was never a fan of the Dragon Quest games either. I actually sold 8 because i was so bored lol! However, Legend of Heroes is amazing! I own both colds of trail steel and patiently waiting for 3. Trails in the Sky is good too

jay_are wrote:Shining Force 1, 2, and CD (which is the same as 1 and 2 for Game Gear)I can't put my finger on it though... the characters and type of story are different, but similar enough that I see parallels.If this had been a spinoff totally unrelated but called 'Lunar - The Shining Force', I would have accepted it. They also have a feel that is how I imagine Lunar if the series had existed before TSS, the way the graphics look and the way the music sounds (which doesn't use CD).There are just story moments and locations that feel like they kinda fit.

Rhapsody on PS1 also has something about it. A certain goofiness that is a thing of anime, that is also in Lunar. And the way the game is about music.If this had been a spinoff totally unrelated but called 'Lunar - A Musical Adventure', I would have accepted it.

There are 2 other things that Lunar reminded me of when I had never played Lunar yet but had seen it in screenshots, so this is like the reverse of what you're asking but still sorta works.When I found this game, I was a big fan of the Tenchi Muyo anime series! (Still am but it was new to me back then)When seeing Lunar, I felt the character designs had a lot of parallels! Like I thought Jessica was gonna be like Ryoko and Laike was gonna be the main character's father.Lunar looked like an RPG version of Tenchi Muyo, with really advanced Zelda-styled graphics.I wish Zelda had went in the direction the PS1 Lunars went...Oh, and there's Ryo Ohki too, which is like a baby Nall or Ruby! But she doesn't talk. Anyway, Lunar and Tenchi are not alike, but there's those little parallels that make me feel like they were on the same book, unlike if I played something like Final Fantasy XV.

I loved Rhapsody! I'd love to own it. I haven't played it in years. I liked the DS remake...but it wasn't dubbed which i loved singing to the songs XD

Shinto-Cetra wrote:I'd recommend Chrono Trigger if you haven't played it already. Both games have an overall serious plot where the characters don't take it that seriously. Also Lunar's Ghaleon and Chrono Trigger's Magus were both originally antagonists that later redeem themselves. Granted the former's redemption took two games, but felt more sincere, whereas the latter took one game but was more like they were cooperating the hero since they had no other realistic way to achieve their goal.

As Sonic# pointed out, Skies of Arcadia is also quite similar. I haven't completed the others mentioned in general to really form an opinion.

Chrono Trigger is one of the sexiest games on the planet. Any RPG fan who hasn't played that needs to set time aside and play it lol!!

Vay - This sort of gets in because it was localized by Working Designs, and I played it immediately before ever playing Lunar I (it's also the game that got me into RPGs). Looking back on it now though it's sort of a standard JRPG with the sort of plot you see in dozens of other games (collect the orbs and pieces of armor, fight off an evil empire, etc.). But it has a lot of endearing moments, and poses an interesting question of "what if you put a mech in the middle of a medieval fantasy world?". (Sonic#, myself, and others have commented on this aspect in other threads around here before.)

Grandia - Already mentioned on this thread so I'll move on here.

Tales of Phantasia - This stands alongside Lunar: Eternal Blue as one of my favorite games of all time. I actually didn't get into the rest of the Tales series, but I own and have played three different versions of this (the original for the Super Famicom, the Playstation 1 remake, and the PSP remake with full voice and a crossover character). What I love about it is its epic scope, spanning three different time periods and a cast of characters that gets pretty well developed over the course of the game. You also get to live long enough to see yourself basically become a hero in the world. The really fun battle system that still holds up today and side quests that are plentiful enough without being mind-numbing or repetitive also help. (Although, the battle system and side quests aren't very Lunar-like. But the epic world-building is.)

jay_are wrote:Shining Force 1, 2, and CD (which is the same as 1 and 2 for Game Gear)I can't put my finger on it though... the characters and type of story are different, but similar enough that I see parallels.If this had been a spinoff totally unrelated but called 'Lunar - The Shining Force', I would have accepted it. They also have a feel that is how I imagine Lunar if the series had existed before TSS, the way the graphics look and the way the music sounds (which doesn't use CD).There are just story moments and locations that feel like they kinda fit.

Wait really? I mean I really enjoyed Shining Force 1-3 (especially SF3, still stands as my favorite Saturn series). But the feel of those games was so radically different. Between there being sort of an industrial feel to some parts (like, trains and stuff in SF3), the style being a tactical sim like Final Fantasy Tactics, the plots usually involving large nations going to war, it... it was great, but just felt so wildly different from anything in the Lunar series. KF

jay_are wrote:Shining Force 1, 2, and CD (which is the same as 1 and 2 for Game Gear)I can't put my finger on it though... the characters and type of story are different, but similar enough that I see parallels.If this had been a spinoff totally unrelated but called 'Lunar - The Shining Force', I would have accepted it. They also have a feel that is how I imagine Lunar if the series had existed before TSS, the way the graphics look and the way the music sounds (which doesn't use CD).There are just story moments and locations that feel like they kinda fit.

Wait really? I mean I really enjoyed Shining Force 1-3 (especially SF3, still stands as my favorite Saturn series). But the feel of those games was so radically different. Between there being sort of an industrial feel to some parts (like, trains and stuff in SF3), the style being a tactical sim like Final Fantasy Tactics, the plots usually involving large nations going to war, it... it was great, but just felt so wildly different from anything in the Lunar series. KF

Not to mention Shining Force is pro-religion, ie you save your game, promote characters, heal statuses, and revive (assuming you don't take advantage of the mid-battle save feature) etc at a Church, and the plot of III is partially a holy war. Lunar isn't anti-religion, but it's more pro-secular humanism with Luna giving up her powers in some form in the different versions. The creator god from SFIII never does this. Industrialization is in Lunar too though, look at the Grindery.